truTV Orders Series About and Starring Shaq!

Shaq, Inc. (working title) has been given a pilot order by truTV. The show would be a comedy series based on Shquille O’Meal’s business empire and would follow him and his offbeat team as they keep that empire humming.

O’Neal and Mike Tollin will executive produce. The pilot will be written by Jeremy Garelick (The Wedding Ringer) and John Fortenberry (Galavant) is set to direct. For further details, follow the jump.

truTV has ordered a pilot for Shaq Inq.(working title), a workplace comedy loosely based on the wild and frenetic business empire of Shaquille O’Neal, who is executive-producing the show with Mike Tollin (Smallville, Arli$$). The series is being produced for truTV by Mandalay Sports Media. Jeremy Garelick (The Wedding Ringer, The Break-Up) will write the pilot, with John Fortenberry (Galavant, Instant Mom) set to direct. Perry Rogers, Colin Smeeton and Michael Parris will render producer services.

This half-hour scripted comedy follows Shaquille O’Neal and the team who runs his sprawling business empire. The offbeat, yet capable, group juggles the mayhem of managing Shaq’s existing products and endorsements while implementing his latest batch of eccentric and oftentimes brilliant business ideas. But while they’re all working towards the same goal, each employee is constantly jockeying for the power and recognition to make the big guy proud.

Dan Kaplow (Trophy Wife, Sin City Saints) and Jon Weinbach (The Other Dream Team, Straight Outta L.A.) are co-executive producers of the pilot.

Tollin said, “Shaquille and I have been friends for 20 years, and his growth as a businessman never ceases to amaze and amuse me.”

“There is no denying Shaq’s multifaceted appeal,” said Chris Linn, president, head of programming for truTV. “Thus, we couldn’t be happier to be collaborating with him, as well as Mike Tollin and Mandalay Sports Media, as we continue to push into new formats.”

About Mandalay Sports Media

Founded in 2012 by Peter Guber and Mike Tollin, MSM is a media and content company producing primarily sports-themed programming across all platforms. With production hubs in Los Angeles and New York City, MSM makes scripted and unscripted programming for digital, tv, and feature distribution. It will launch Sin City Saints in March and a feature-length documentary on Kareem Abdul Jabbar in April, along with a second season of the hit series, “Undrafted”. Learn more at: www.mandalaysportsmedia.com

Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, creates and programs branded news; entertainment; kids and young adult; and sports media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world.